Love's Promise
by YarningChick
Summary: If at first you don't succeed, wait a few centuries for the chance to try, try again.
1. The Trip

Extra

Chapter One: The Trip

Haru's excitement continued to grow, as she checked over her supply list, trying to see if she had forgotten anything. She hadn't. Setting the list aside, she started zipping up the sizable hiking backpack Hiromi's father had lent her. That man really was too sweet to her…

"Haru?"

Chocolate eyes met matching ones, as the high school senior locked eyes with her mother. She looked worried, but Haru wasn't surprised. The brunette let the bag fall on its back on her bed so she could embrace her mother.

"Mom, I swear everything will be fine. We have plans, guides, chaperones, supplies, and just about everything else."

The red-haired woman continued to cling to her daughter. Haru had always thought that crimson locks were glamorous, and was put out that she hadn't inherited her mother's hair.

"Haru, did you have to sign up for this trip? I feel like once you walk out of this house, I'll never see you again."

The brunette squeezed her mother comfortingly.

"Are you saying that because of Dad?"

The woman laughed harshly.

"I have nothing to fear from _him_, if he won't let you call him that in public. It's something else. Something serious."

Haru kissed her cheek.

"All the adults and most of the kids have cell phones. If anything happens, we can get help. I'll be back before you know it."

Her mother squeezed her one more time.

"I'm just scared to death of something happening to you, Sweetheart. You understand, don't you?"

"Of course. It's in your list of mother's privileges."

A car honked outside. The brunette pulled herself away from her mother's embrace in order to zip her bag shut. On a strange impulse, she tossed her latest project into the bag before shutting it.

After all, there was no telling if she would have some spare time, down in the caves.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Hiromi was grinning at her from inside her father's truck. Haru smiled back warmly as she opened the back door and slipped the bag in before following.

"Thanks for taking me, Mr. Hashima."

Hiromi's father grinned at her while waving to her mom.

"No problem, Haru. Is your mother still nervous?"

"Yeah, but that's natural, right?"

He laughed while pulling back into the street, Haru blowing a kiss to her mother.

"Of course it is. If I didn't personally know the guys in charge of this trip, I'd have put my foot down with Hiromi."

The sandy blonde girl looked at her best friend from around her seat. Her eyes widened, and the girl stretched a hand back to feel the pretty scarf around the brunette's neck.

"This is gorgeous, Haru. Did you make this one?"

She nodded happily.

"Just finished it last night, and I wanted to show it off."

Mr. Hashima stole a quick glance at the delicate homemade white lace.

"Be careful with that thing. You might not get it back, if you lose it down there."

Haru nodded; knowing that anything could get lost down there, if one wasn't careful.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

An older man, his chocolate hair slightly accented with silver, checked his list, pleased that so many of the students were showing up early. Yes, only ten left before they could leave. His black eyes darted to the bottom of the list, which was arranged alphabetically.

_Yoshioka, Haru._

His heart heaved again. Maybe this trip would be able to heal the gap between them, once and for all. He did love her, but he couldn't show it while on school grounds or trips. He remembered all too well what happened when his own mother had taught him, and the attention she had showered on him. Not only had that embarrassed him beyond words, it made everyone else in his class hate him.

And he loved his daughter too much to put her through the same thing.

A familiar truck rolled into the school parking lot, and two girls jumped out one side. They waved to the driver before approaching him.

As they came closer to the trip director, he could see emotion slowly leave one of the girls, a brunette like him. The blonde next to her grabbed her hand to send comfort.

"Hiromi Hashima and Haru Yoshioka."

He checked off their names.

"Hello, Hiromi. Haru."

She nodded at him without emotion.

"Hello, Mr. Niyashi."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Darkness. Everything was always darkness, here.

A lone figure leaned against a broken pillar, pondering…

It couldn't be too long, now. The sign had been given over seventeen cycles ago, and time was running out once more.

He was so tired of _waiting…_

Endless waiting.


	2. The Cave

Extra

Chapter Two: The Cave

_A soft touch…_

_A tender kiss…_

_A warm embrace…_

_Home. __**This**__ is home._

Haru's head fell off Hiromi's shoulder, jarring her awake. She looked up, seeing her friend grinning at her.

"We're here. Nap time's over."

Haru sighed, trying to remember what the dream had been about as she filed out of the bus, biting back a yawn. Hiromi started laughing again.

"Just out of curiosity, did you know you were purring in your sleep again?"

The slim brunette turned red, and started laughing nervously.

"Sorry about that; you know I can't control it."

Her best friend waved one hand dismissively, still grinning.

"Don't be, Haru. It's adorable."

The brown-eyed girl laughed again, trying to remember what the dream had been about, to make her purr again.

'_Warm… soft… was I dreaming about a puppy or something?'_

No, it felt more special than that. Besides; she wasn't exactly a dog person. She slung her pack over her shoulders; buckling the waist strap into place as her so-called father did a head count.

Although the company would be spending the night on the grounds around Frost Cave, they were required to carry their gear the entire way through the cave tour.

Spelunking wasn't normally Haru's thing, but Hiromi had managed to talk her into it; shamelessly dangling the fact that the brunette's crush, Machida Mishuzi, was going. She smiled, hoping to see some impressive progress with him down there. Nothing indecent of course… frankly, a 'hi' from him would be impressive progress.

Her father finished the count, and introduced everyone to the guide, who had a long list of safety procedures to go over. Haru was only half-listening, guessing what the guide was saying before he said it.

'_Stick with the group at all times… don't touch the walls or formations… don't do anything stupid… and no exploring by yourself.'_

The guide finished, and led them through a small gallery about Frost Cave, spending half an hour telling the students about it before leading them to the elevator.

Haru's heart quickened as the ground seemed to give away, sending her and her group seemingly plummeting almost to the center of the earth. Her ears popped painfully with the rapid change of elevation.

_A cloud of darkness rushed towards her as she sailed down to earth; her skirt whipping across her legs from the wind. She reached up to touch the darkness, and it grabbed her, carrying her away in the wind… saving her._

Haru blinked and shook her head, wondering where that thought had come from. A cloud of _darkness_? Just what was going on in her head?

The elevator eventually came to a stop, making Haru's heart sink to her feet before bouncing back into her chest.

The elevator opened up, to reveal a large metal ramp for the kids to step out. Haru glared at the fixed lights around the cave in disgust, also noting the fixed metal pathway that they were supposed to go down, with a tall handrail on each side to ensure no one could stray from the path.

'_How can they call this a spelunking trip, if we don't actually experience the cave?!'_

The slim brunette had really been hoping to see a cave in all its natural beauty, but with all the obvious signs that Frost Cave had been tampered with, she couldn't help but wonder if the cave had optional heating and air-conditioning vents. Hiromi walked up beside her, pulling a face of her own.

"This was _not_ what I signed up for."

A clammy hand touched Haru's shoulder, making her turn to see her father, who wasn't looking too comfortable.

"I'd like to talk to you after the cave."

She sighed.

"Whatever you say, Mr. Niyashi."

He saddened, but released her to start the tour.

Most of the class wasn't even paying attention to the lecture by the professor, choosing to take pictures of all the formations with their cell phones, or texting each other. Haru somberly looked at the walls of jagged crystals, wishing she could touch it. But that would compromise the purity, according to the professor, so she just looked. She would be taking pictures too, but she was notoriously bad with technology. She smiled softly, thinking about her true talents. She fingered the lacy scarf, plotting a way to mimic the random formations before her in her crocheting. Her eyes began to pulsate, making Hiromi shake her head and grab the brunette's arm so they wouldn't be left behind.

Haru scoffed; like the company would be difficult to find on the set pathway, especially with a chaperone behind them, to make sure no one would get left behind in the cave.

Something… something caught her ear. She looked up, trying to see if anything was scurrying around on top of one of the walls.

"Did you hear something, Hiromi?"

"That's just my stomach; any idea when the tour ends?"

Haru shook her head while taking an apple out of her bag and hand it to her friend.

"No, and give back the core when you're done. I have a garbage bag."

Hiromi hugged her with one arm while taking a large bite.

"You're gold, you know that, Haru? Yum, it's even my favorite; granny smith!"

The brunette smiled, since it was her favorite, too. She hated the red apples, since they were just sweet to her. She liked apples that had a bit of a bite to them.

Her eyes scanned the walls again, certain that she had seen something. She turned to the guide behind her.

"Is there any life down here?"

"Except for some bats, none at all. And the bats are several thousand feet above us, so there's nothing to fear."

"Unless they need to go to the bathroom," Hiromi whispered, handing a slim core back to her giggling friend. The guide shook his head as Haru slipped the trash into a plastic bag.

"Teenagers…" the old man muttered.

"Louise! It's really you!"

Haru looked up to see a large white _thing_ coming toward her fast… too fast to dodge.

Then, there truly was darkness in the cave.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The large white cat looked at the human girl; horrified at what he had done. He hopped of her chest and patted her cheek.

"Louise! Please wake up! Baron will kill me if-"

"Scat, cat!" the light brunette girl kicked him away from the fallen girl, and checked for a pulse. She sighed heavily with relief as the guide radioed the rest of the crew to come back.

"She's alive, but unconscious."


	3. The Entrapment

Extra

Chapter Three: The Entrapment

Muta sighed heavily with relief, rubbing the place where the girl kicked him, too happy to get angry right now. His lord would have killed him if, after all these years of waiting, he had killed her by his weight. He looked at the girl, remembering all the times she had teasingly told him to go on a diet. He should have listened, but he didn't want to give up his favorite angel food cake.

'_Will Baron believe it's her?' _He grinned, and raced between the legs of the guide as he tried to capture the white cat with his coat. He easily ran around the screaming teenage girl and close to his princess.

He swiftly unwrapped the lace from around her neck before gripping it between his teeth and running for his life. Going under the bars of the manmade path, he kept running; his padded feet keeping him from losing his balance on the slick rocks.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The tall figure sighed again, leaning against the pillar. His large ear flicked behind him, and he turned to see his old friend waddling up to him, gasping terribly. He passed out, the white thing in his mouth falling out.

Green eyes widened as he leaned down, stroking the white fur while picking up the delicate lace. He held it to his face, and inhaled the scent lingeringly. Tears started falling from his eyes as he struggled not to cry with happiness.

"She _still_ smells like vanilla and lavender."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Haru groaned, as she slowly regained consciousness.

"No one said a train ran through here."

Several people laughed, as she opened her eyes. Hiromi looked relieved.

"Sorry, but you got hit by a fat cat, not a train."

She groaned again, trying to sit up from her father's embrace; her chest hurting beyond belief.

"Are you sure? It feels like it was a train."

Her father tightened his grip on her, glaring at the guides.

"Why didn't you warn us that there was a berserker cat running around?!"

"There shouldn't have been. I mean, we see him all the time up at the visitors' center. This is the first time in years he went violent."

Mr. Niyashi growled as he picked up his daughter, the pack she was carrying still on the ground.

"I think we better leave, before he comes back. Machida, please carry Haru's pack."

Machida gave his signature 'whatever' shrug and slung her bag over one shoulder like it was empty.

'_Dang it. I'm too dizzy to fully enjoy this.' _Haru sighed, trying to figure out the cloud in her mind as her father led the crew back to the elevators. Hiromi jogged up to the front to talk to her friend, limping a bit from kicking the fat cat.

"I don't know how to say this, Haru, but that cat stole your scarf."

The brunette winced, and felt her bare throat.

"If he wanted a gift for a girlfriend, he should have just asked." Good thing the pattern was simple, one she made up herself. She could make another one to replace what was stolen. Her mind unclouded, somewhat.

"Who's Louise?"

"Haru?" Hiromi asked, worried.

"I heard someone call out for Louise, just before getting hit."

"Sorry; no one called out for a Louise. That cat gave a loud warning meow, though."

Haru flushed, and laughed unsteadily.

"Of course. I probably just imagined it." She looked away from her friend's gaze, angry at herself.

She didn't imagine it. Someone did call out for Louise, and it was the cat. It had to be, if she was the only one that heard it. Her father thought she was playing a game, when she was a child and still tried to tell people about her special ability.

Only her mother wouldn't say one way or another, often studying her daughter for hours when she talked it up with any cat that came close. Haru sighed, wishing that she had kept her mouth shut back then. Maybe her mother would have let her adopt a cat by now, if she hadn't insisted as a child that she understood them.

She knew now never to tell. Not even Hiromi.

'_Louise must have been a previous owner, and he thought she had come back to take him home.' _But why steal her scarf? And how did he get down here? She rested her head on her father's chest, glad that he was finally living up to the name. Calling him 'Mr. Niyashi' wouldn't feel so bad if he had made some effort outside the classroom to spend time with her. How was she supposed to think of him as a dad when she only saw him when she was supposed to specifically address him like everyone else does? Maybe that was what he wanted to talk to her about, after the cave. But right now, her head hurt from hitting the metal pathway, and her chest hurt from the attack. All she wanted was to fall back asleep.

The lights suddenly went out, throwing the company into complete darkness. Several students started to scream, making Haru's headache worsen. The guide wasn't doing any better.

"What is with today?! First a cat attack, and now this?!" He flipped a flashlight on as several students started to do the same. Haru felt for the loop on her shorts that her flashlight was hanging from.

"Don't worry, Haru; I'll take care of this."

She had to smile at her father.

"Fine, you take care of things, and I'll provide light so you can do it." She pointed her slim flashlight ahead of her father as the crew continued to walk back through the tunnel, which now looked far more mysterious and spooky. The brunette's body gave a shudder, finding wonderful beauty in this.

Another one of her secrets was that she could see in the dark. She only provided a flashlight to help her father, who obviously wasn't about to let her lead the way in her condition. As they approached the elevators, the guide started yelling into the radio in his hand.

"No, don't give me that?! I have a group with me right now, and a kid's injured. Fix the power already!"

"Sorry Toji; this will take an hour, at least, and we can't find the problem. Stabilize the kid until we can get the elevators working."

"I'm not _that_ hurt," Haru tried to say, but her father shushed her, sitting on the ground with her on his lap. Just like he used to do.

"Everyone, just sit down and relax. Looks like we'll be down here for a while."


	4. The Kiss

Extra

Chapter Four: The Kiss

"Are you sure I can't go back to sleep? It's not like we're doing anything important," Haru said, still feeling a bit lightheaded.

"Very sure; you could have a concussion or something. I hope there's a doctor up there, at least." Her father glared up to the ceiling, probably at the visitors' center, while rubbing her back comfortingly.

All of the other students had broken into groups, to just talk and tell scary stories with their flashlights. Hiromi stayed next to Haru, gripped her flashlight like a weapon.

"If I ever get my hands on that fatso cat, I'll turn him into a pie."

"Are you going to eat him?" Haru asked as she giggled, her chest feeling much better now. Even her headache was almost gone, but her father still wouldn't let her off his lap.

The high school teacher was probably going to get yelled at for what he was doing with his daughter, but right now, he was a father first and a professor second. It had been the reverse order for far too long.

He opened his mouth to beg Haru's forgiveness, but a yawn came out instead. He blinked, not noticing that he was tired. His daughter giggled.

"You should know better than to do that. They've proven that yawning is contagious."

Almost before the words were out of her mouth, the other students also began to yawn. One by one, they started falling on their sides or backs; lit cell phones and flashlights lying beside them; a few students even snoring as sleep claimed them. Hiromi gave a big yawn as she huddled into a ball about a foot away from Mr. Niyashi, who gave another yawn. Haru followed suit, resting her head on his chest as he leaned against the cavern wall.

"Told you so."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

_Haru was in the water, enjoying herself for once. She had never been one for swimming, but for some reason now loved the way the water brushed over her legs._

_Wait a minute. She wasn't in the water. She was wearing a dress made of a strange, superior cousin to silk. It only felt like water, and was much preferable to the real thing._

_Warm arms suddenly wrapped around her, pulling her close to a solid chest; her head falling onto the stranger's broad chest. The young woman was held there for a few minutes, as the warm arms tightened slightly._

"_Excuse me; would you care to dance?" The rather sexy voice seemed like it was about to cry with happiness._

_Haru could feel herself nodding, with the strange man's hand behind her head, and began to follow the warm arms wherever they directed her. Her partner held her close to him the entire time, his warm breath caressing her ear as her feet were nearly dragged across the ground; the girl taking light steps in order to coordinate with her partner's. _

_They could have danced for an eternity, or a lone minute for all they could tell. He gave a sigh of contentment, lovingly rubbing his cheek against her hair._

"_I've missed you, love."_

_Then soft lips covered hers in a tender kiss._

The schoolgirl's world seemed to explode, her eyes filled with nothing but light, and her ears filled with cheering, wild cheering from a large populace from nowhere. Her whole body, her whole soul, seemed to come _alive_, in a way it had only dreamed of doing before!

'_The kiss… oh, the kiss!'_

It was real. Someone was actually kissing her hard. This was no dream; her body's shivers being too violent from the affects to just be her imagination, and her soft content purring was definitely real. His body gave a shudder of pleasure while pressing her against it and a loud warm purring met her ears, and echoed into her throat; a solid tenor to her soft soprano. One hand was on the back of her head, so he could deepen the kiss even further, as his fingers played with her soft hair.

Just before she tried to start kissing him back, the young girl opened her eyes, and got the shock of her life. Her purr stopped cold.

Without stopping to consider her actions, she used all the strength in her arms to sharply push the guy away; their lips making a loud suction sound as they parted. He stumbled, caught off guard as she regained her own balance, not believing her own eyes. She was too stunned to even scream, her face on fire as she took several steps back from the man. The slim brunette raised one hand to cover her mouth in shock.

All of the flashlights and cell phones were off now, but the young woman could clearly see who had kissed her. His wide green eyes stared at her, his feet on a solid plain once more. But that wasn't what was disturbing the girl.

What was upsetting her was the fact that he had a cat's head. And being pressed against that mouth, she knew it wasn't a disguise.

'_My first kiss got stolen by a cat?! And I __**liked**__ it?!'_

"What is wrong with you?! Why the heck did you kiss me?!" Was she certain this wasn't a dream? The cat-man looked at her for a moment, and then sighed sadly; his whole heart in it.

"I take it from your… less than enthusiastic reaction, that you don't remember me?"

She backed up against the wall, nudging her father with her foot, trying to wake him up. If there were any time for him to interfere with her personal life, it was now. Her whole body was shaking from fear, and something else she couldn't name. Her heart was speeding out of control.

"I'm pretty sure I'd remember a half cat in a suit, if I had ever met one before."

His eyes saddened further, as he adjusted the silk hat on his head.

'_Who wears top hats anymore, except for costume parties?!'_

"Then please permit me to apologize for my unorthodox behavior. I don't regret doing it, but I do regret the conditions I had to do it under."

"Had to?! Was someone standing behind you with a club, to make sure you did it?!" She nudged her father a little harder. His eyes flicked to her foot, and he laughed sadly.

"That won't do any good. He won't wake up until I tell him to, and neither will anyone else. To answer your question, no one _forced_ me to kiss you, but it was needed." And he had enjoyed every glorious second of doing it. To be honest, if he hadn't smelled the blood bond between father and child when he pried the sleeping brunette away from the man, the half-cat would have done something awful to the father, for being so familiar with the girl. **His** girl.

But, even if he didn't love the young woman now before him, his duty to her was clear. He gave her a proper bow, and held the tall silk hat to his heart.

"Please permit me to reintroduce myself; I am Baron Humbert von Gikkingen. Pray, what name do you go by now?" he asked.

The brown-eyed girl blinked, wondering why he had worded it like that.

"Haru Yoshioka. What do you mean, 'reintroduce' and asking for my 'current' name? I've always been known as Haru."

He straightened once more, his slanted green eyes sad while returning the hat to its perch.

"In your current life, that's true. But when I knew you in your past one, you were Princess Louise DeLerouc. Perhaps it would be best if I refer to you by your new name for a while."

She stared at him, wondering if this was a diseased dream after all. Her, a royal? The girl started waving one hand in a negative gesture, which slowly became more insistent.

"That's insane; I'm no princess; I'm a high school girl! I'm not going to be down here for much longer, so you don't have to worry about how you address me. The people up at the center-"

Baron cut her off.

"-won't be able to use the elevators until I give the word to Muta to fix what he did to them. You've met him, if you don't remember him either."

Haru thought hard.

"The cat that knocked me unconscious?"

"Yes, and he's most anxious to apologize to you for doing that. I'm afraid it would be a bad idea for you to return to the world you knew."

She pressed herself harder against the wall, although he hadn't moved any closer to her. Her cheeks were still burning, feeling the _passion_ he had put into the kiss. Why wouldn't her heart stop beating so fast?!

"Why would you say that?"

He looked at her, his eyes now wary.

"Please note your hair."

She blinked, and reached back to pull a lock forward. She smiled triumphantly; the milk chocolate color being what it always was. Then her heart stopped.

There were a few white strands in her fist. And more were changing into white before her eyes.


	5. The Transformation

Extra

Chapter Five: The Transformation

Haru pulled more hair in front of her face, watching more and more of it turn as white as snow. Then her palms began to feel weird. She looked at them, wondering why they were suddenly pinker than the rest of her skin, which looked paler than ever. Her fingernails were slowly disappearing under her fingertips, sharpening as they contracted into her. Just like a cat's.

"What have you done to me?!" she yelled at the orange cat, who winced at her vocal abilities.

"Your body is shifting into your Althean form. I'm afraid it's going to take me a while to make up for tearing you away from your human life."

Haru started rubbing her arms hard, trying to keep the white stubble on them from forming a soft white coat. Her sense of touch began to fade, as fur softened the barrier between her skin and clothes. She collapsed against the wall and huddled into the tightest ball she could manage; even her face changing shape to more resemble a cat's. Her ears trailed up the sides of her head, growing larger and pointed. For some reason, her regular hair kept its length as her new fur stopped growing at about a half-inch. She began to sob into her furry arms. The transformation hadn't hurt her physically, but it was tearing her apart spiritually. The morphing girl started crying into her arms.

'_Today is so not my day.' _"Just… what… did I ever do…to you?!" There was pain on her backside, a bump that wanted to grow, but couldn't with her shorts in the way. The orange cat sighed, hating what he was doing to her, and for being the cause for her tears. He had always hated watching her cry, but knew that she wouldn't let him comfort her this time.

He said something she couldn't understand. Her blue jean shorts subtly shifted into a long skirt. But she wouldn't stand up, and let her tail grow. Somehow knowing what her body wanted to do, Baron walked up to her and gently gripped her shoulders in order to pull her to her feet. Her new tail nearly shot out of her with relief, but Haru didn't want to look at the one responsible, still trying to push him away.

"What did you do to me?" he asked softly. "We fell in love. And you died before our love could be fully realized. I've been waiting for you to return for centuries." He took his hands off her, and wrapped a familiar scarf around her neck. "You always did do fine needlework, no matter what kind of needle you were working with. Just like your mother did."

She tried to pull away from him, but her back was literally to the wall.

"How would you know about my mother? You've never met her."

"I met your Althean one. She had red fur that you had always admired."

She looked up at him, into those slanted green eyes.

"I was talking about my human mother, but she's a redhead too. Oh, no!" She tried to sink to the ground again covering her new face with her padded hands. "She was right. She shouldn't have let me come here."

The cat man braced her, refusing to let her sink.

"I for one am grateful that she did. I'm certain your Althean father won't mind if you contact her through letters. Or your human father. His majesty understands completely what it's like to have his only child torn from him, so he will more than likely be sympathetic in the matter."

She tried to push him away again, but he was hugging her too hard.

"But not enough to resist doing the same thing to my parents," she muttered angrily at the orange cat. He shook his head.

"This is different. At least your parents will know you're alive." He kept his grip on her as she tried to sidestep around a comatose Hiromi, only succeeding in tripping over her friend. He caught her before she could fall.

"You're insane, if you think I'm going anywhere with you!" she shrieked at the orange cat, hoping that he would drop her in surprise, so that she could make a run for it. He sighed, and swept her into his arms the way her father had earlier.

"I suppose you can explain your new appearance to your friends and father? Even if they brought you back to their world, no one else would believe you are who you say you are. I am also certain that scientists would love to get their hands on you, and you probably wouldn't survive what they would do to you. You're much better off in Althea. I haven't been the only one waiting for you."

She broke down crying again, this time from a broken heart.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The line was ringing. And ringing. Mr. Niyashi breathed heavily to steady his nerves, hating the few times he had to talk to his ex-wife. The woman finally picked up.

"Hello, Yoshioka residence."

"Hello, Naoko."

Dead silence.

"What happened?"

He sighed.

"First Haru got attacked by a cat, and then the lights went out, and the elevators were down. For some reason, everyone fell asleep, and when we woke up, she was gone."

"What do you mean 'gone'?" Naoko hissed at him.

"I mean disappeared. I even had her on my lap so she wouldn't have to sit on the cold metal, but when I woke up, all that was left of her was her scarf, and a note. Even her pack is gone."

The scarf in question had been wrapped around her best friend's neck when she woke up, and the girl had one hand over it, tearing eyes daring anyone to just try taking it from her. The note in question was crumpled in the professor's fist as he struggled not to cry.

"Read me the note."

He didn't bother looking at it, having memorized the words.

_Dad-_

_I'm sorry for doing this, but I literally have no choice. I can't ever come home, but I'll contact you and Mom as soon as I can. Give her my love, and apologize to Hiromi's father for me. I don't think I'll be able to return his pack for a while. I wish I could explain what's going on, but I can't. __**I**__ don't understand completely what's going on._

_Please tell everyone I'm sorry, especially Mom. She was right._

_Love,_

_Haru._

Her mother started crying, and for once, her husband couldn't find fault with it. For once, he wept with her.

The people in the center were sending search parties for the girl, but Mr. Niyashi somehow knew that they wouldn't find his daughter.


	6. The Althean King

Extra

Chapter Six: The Althean King

Haru tried to walk away from Hiromi's comatose form on her own, after wrapping the scarf around her dear friend's neck, but then the baron swept her into his arms again, and jumped over the guard rails with ease.

The girl in his arms stiffened.

"I can walk, you know."

"Yes, I know." He started down a cavern that wasn't seeable from the metal pathway. She glared at him harder.

"Please put me down."

"You're not used to walking on slick rocks," he pointed out, walking around a stalagmite. "Better safe than sorry."

"I can handle it," she insisted, but the orange cat still wouldn't put her down. She growled at him, wondering if he ignored what she said this much in her supposed 'past life'. "You know I hate you, right, Mr. Gikkingen?"

The orange cat holding the girl-cat sighed sadly as he navigated the tricky tunnels. The girl's pack was on his back; all she could take from her old life.

"I prefer 'Baron', but yes, I was expecting it. I'll make it up to you, Haru." It was the first time he addressed her by that name, and his tongue felt strange, like trying a foreign spice. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't what he was expecting, either. She growled softly in irritation, still angry over his assumptions about her.

"You're going to have to try really hard, to make up for this."

He nodded, already plotting how to earn her love once more.

"If it takes the rest of my life, then so be it." In fact, he was planning on doing that anyway, but felt the need to vocally say so.

Haru chose to stay silent for a while, her gaze in her lap. She knew better then to try telling him to put her down and let her walk, as he was being surprisingly even more stubborn than she was. In fact, he was very reluctant to be more than a foot away from her at any given point in time. They were really in the cave now, with no trace of human interference. The brunette would have enjoyed the view, under different circumstances.

"I don't think I'm Louise."

He looked at her carefully.

"Right now, you aren't. You look like her, and the soul is the same. But Louise is still sleeping inside you. I just need to find a way to coax her out."

Her body stiffened.

"So Haru's an inconvenience to you?"

"Not quite. I'll be satisfied to find a balance between the two."

They entered a large cave, covered with glistening crystals. Next to a Roman-style pillar, the fat cat from before was waiting for them. He bowed low, gazing at Haru with gruff affection.

"I'm sorry for bulldozing you, Louise; I just got so excited that you came back, I couldn't restrain myself."

She shrugged tiredly, supposing that she better get used to people calling her that.

"Nothing's permanently damaged, but I'll call it even if you promise never to do it again."

He bowed again, clearly relieved. Now at the pillar, the dapper cat let her stand on her feet. Her footing was a bit better than what she was expecting it to be. She looked at the pillar, something strange coming over her. She raised one hand to touch it, but then hesitated. Baron chuckled warmly from behind her.

"Go on, Haru. All will be well."

Sighing, she placed her hand on it. The pillar started buzzing underneath her palm, like it was flaring to life. She stepped away as light began to flood the cave. Taking one step too many, she bumped against Baron's chest. His hands came up to her shoulders again to steady her. It still felt strange for someone to touch her furry hide.

The light faded until it was bearable, and Baron linked her arm through his to guide her forward. Of course, it would be pointless to resist now. She blinked in surprise as they exited the cave to enter a large throne room. There were many more half-cats, most of them richly dressed. They looked at her with Baron and gave a great shout of joy. A regal old white cat marched out of the crowd to embrace her fiercely, Baron wisely stepping aside. Haru's arms were limp at her sides as the cat kept hugging her, obviously the king and her old father.

"Thank the heavens!" He kissed her brow. "You've finally been returned to us, Louise. We've been waiting." He started playing with her longer head fur between his fingers, obviously thinking that it suited her. She pointed to the orange cat.

"He said that already, and I go by 'Haru'."

He blinked, and then sighed.

"Of course. You would be reborn with a new name. Pray, tell us about your life as a human."

She shook her head stubbornly.

"Not until I hear about my life as an Althean. Baron raised a lot of questions that I'd really like answered."

He blinked, obviously surprised to hear her go against him, but sighed.

"Of course, dear heart. Please come with me." He linked their arms and led her from the throne room, down a long corridor. Baron was trailing them, very reluctant to let the white cat out of his view for too long. And Muta was waddling beside him.

One thing that puzzled the girl was that there weren't any doors in the palace, as far as she could tell. Instead, there were curtains of deep indigo blue covering the spaces between rooms.

After about five minutes of walking, the king pulled aside one curtain, and led her into a large room, maybe as big as the throne room. Haru's eyes nearly jumped out of their sockets, seeing all the books that were in neat shelves, stretching up a few stories. Ladders and stairs obviously made the higher ones reachable. Her Althean father looked at her awestruck face and started laughing merrily.

"This was your favorite room in the entire castle, besides your personal one."

"I can see why," she said softly, sitting down as directed on one of the comfortable couches in the middle of the room. She suddenly looked at the other white cat and nearly jumped out of her seat; a surprised cry on her lips.

"Muta! How did you get so big?!"

He laughed sheepishly, one paw behind his head.

"I have this unhealthy addiction to angel food cake, and-"

Baron cut him off.

"I believe she's referring to your height, not your girth."

The enormous cat was now a few inches taller than the king. Muta turned red.

"I switched to this height at the portal. Or, more accurately, you and Baron shrunk. It was kind of important for him to be at human height."

Haru nodded slowly, and sank back into her seat. Her large brown eyes, now slanted, flicked to the king.

"Can you tell me what's been going on?"

The king laughed and nodded his head.

"I had forgotten how amusing it was, to see you panic." He sighed.

"It all began roughly two hundred years ago. I and your mother had no children, and we desperately wanted one. My queen went to an old witch for help, and obtained it. But the good witch warned us to be careful with you, because your death would cause the doom of both Althea and Ylthea."

Haru glanced at Baron, confused.

"Ylthea is the proper name for the Cat Kingdom. Muta's from there, but after a bad brush with the law-"

Muta started snickering wickedly.

"-he came to work for your father to be your bodyguard. By the time we found out about his shady past, you had become attached to him and pleaded in his defense."

She looked at Muta, wondering what he had done to earn her support, and wondering what he had done that could constitute as having a 'shady past'. Well, if he could attack other people the way he did her in the cave, then he was probably an excellent guard.

The king sighed happily, lost in memories. One light gray servant approached him with a thick book, which he took with a grateful nod. He passed the thick book to Haru, who peaked inside. Her eyes widened.

It wasn't quite a photo album, but it was close. It was a series of beautiful sketches, almost believable to be photographs. All of the pictures featured a white ball of fluff, as it slowly morphed through the pages. Haru looked through it, mesmerized. An elaborate christening, an afternoon picnic, a late read. In every picture, the princess looked like a regular half cat. Her longer head fur was something new in this life. She pointed at the elegant red cat that seemed to make an appearance on every page.

"That's my mother?"

"That's right. You were her joy. And mine." He wrapped one arm around her, squeezing softly as he flipped closer to the back of the book. "You loved learning, and playing with threads. You could make the most exquisite lace."

"She still can," Baron interrupted. "She gave a lace scarf to a friend for a goodbye present."

A bit of Haru's depression came back, watching the awkward kitten turn into an elegant lady on the pages. Then Baron appeared in one sketch. He had one arm wrapped around her waist; his other hand holding hers as they stood in the middle of the library; all of the furniture removed to create a large circle around them. She looked at the one sitting across from her; a little incredulous.

"You're a braver soul than I thought you were, if you tried to teach me how to dance."

He grinned at her.

"Not tried. Succeeded. Let me guess; you would describe your dancing to be lethal?"

Haru nodded as her father laughed.

"That's right; you had two left feet before Baron started taking over your tutors' jobs. I should have seen the potential trouble coming."


	7. The Tragedy

Extra

Chapter Seven: The Tragedy

Haru was still miffed about the stolen kiss and the little fact that Baron had stolen her human life from her, so she couldn't see how she had fallen for the guy. She kept looking through the pictures, noticing how often Baron was now appearing. But no more of the red cat.

"What happened to Mother?" Making the small difference in how she addressed her Althean and human mothers would help her keep her focus. Neither noticed the formality, perhaps interpreting it as a term of respect.

"She caught a bad cold," the king said softly, squeezing her again. "She should have gotten better, but she didn't. You were fourteen when she died."

Her heart trembled; wondering how well she would have gotten along with the woman. No one could replace her mom, she was certain of that but… she couldn't help but wonder.

The white cat princess turned another page, and her eyes shot up in interest. Baron leaned over and laughed.

"That's Toto. Your sweet sixteen birthday present."

The white cat in the picture was riding on the back of a giant crow, and looked like she was enjoying herself.

"That looks like _fun_," she whispered, guessing Toto was the Althean equivalent of getting a Harley. Her father laughed.

"You always enjoyed riding him. If he weren't so big, he would have been in the throne room to greet you. Good thing he's patient."

Muta gave a snort.

"That birdbrain…" he growled. Haru cocked her head at him, since she didn't have eyebrows anymore.

"Do you hate him or something?"

He blinked, and then sighed.

"Not quite, but…"

Baron filled in the blank.

"He and Toto love to fight, and they do it at a drop of a hat. You'll probably see that for yourself fairly soon."

She sighed, and turned two more pages. Her eyes sharpened slightly. She looked at the king, pointing to an elegant gray cat with mismatched eyes.

"He's an Ylthean, right?"

The king nodded, an old regret in his eyes.

"Yes. He is Prince Lune. He'll probably be coming by soon to greet you. Although there was an ugly mess with his father, he adores you for what you did for him."

"Do I get to find out what I did?"

The king laughed again, seeming to get younger from her presence.

"You see, right before you turned eighteen, I got an offer from his father, the Cat King. He wished to unite our kingdoms by marriage. I asked him and his son to come by so we could discuss the matter." He sighed. "You liked Lune, and Lune liked you. But it was the kind of love one had for a friend or sibling. And by the time you two met, both of you were in love with someone else. You with Baron, and Lune with a sweet servant girl from his castle. You hadn't told me or Baron how you felt, but you still egged on Lune to elope with his girlfriend. So he did."

Haru giggled, thinking that it sounded like something she would have done.

"His father was livid with fury, but divorce doesn't exist in either of our kingdoms. So he decided to put himself behind the altar, and asked to marry you himself."

Haru fought the urge to hurl.

"You better not have made me-" she started yelling, but the king held two fingers to her mouth, disabling the tirade that he had somehow known was coming.

"I didn't. While Lune was eloping with his girl, you told me and Baron the truth about how you felt, and he felt the same way about you. I couldn't refuse you something you wanted with all your heart, so I turned down the Cat King. You don't remember this, but the cat had a terrible temper and many secret stashes of dynamite in his arsenal. He started threatening to destroy Althea for the insult of getting a mere baron picked over him, so your fiancé challenged him to a duel over the matter, on the grounds that the loser wouldn't make war."

Muta started snickering sinisterly.

"Turn the page, Chicky."

'_I must have really liked Muta, to let him call me that.' _She turned the page as directed. Her mouth dropped open in shock and horrified amusement.

"You _didn't_," she whispered harshly to the orange cat, who grinned mischievously at her.

"I did."

The girl promptly started laughing.

In the picture, Baron was standing tall, facing away from his opponent as he shook a few light gray hairs from his sword. The large longhair behind him had been closely shaved in several places, and he was holding his paws to himself like an embarrassed child caught naked. His crown, a purple gem, had been shattered. Off in the corner of the sketch, the princess was also laughing her head off.

'_Maybe she and I __**are**__ one.'_

Haru looked at the orange cat again, with new respect.

"That's… _priceless_!" she managed to say through her gasps. Baron smiled a little wickedly, enjoying her change of tune towards him.

"The memory of that day has helped me survive all the years I waited for you to return."

Haru bit her lip, softly so her newly sharpened teeth wouldn't cut her.

"Why did you need to wait for me? The way the story's going, it sounds like a happily ever after was on the horizon."

Unbearable pain clouded the faces of her companions.

"It _was_ on the horizon. On the day of our wedding, the Cat King returned, and tried to kill me. But… you saw what he was doing, and pushed me away so you would take the hit."

Her father squeezed her hard with both arms, from the terrible memory.

"That should have been the best day of your life, but it was your last. Because your birth was wrought by magic, the same marked your forced death. If you had died at a ripe old age, nothing would have gone wrong, but at such a young age… well, Baron wasn't about to let you go so easily, and managed to soften the doom that nearly destroyed both kingdoms for the Cat King's broken promise."

Muta picked up the story.

"What was supposed to happen was that both kingdoms would be destroyed. But Baron made a powerful spell that only suspended the kingdoms' existence. No one could die, be born, or truly continue with their lives until you returned to Baron, and he kissed you while you were in slumber. Baron and I got transported to the human side of the portal when you were reborn as a human, but we couldn't enter the kingdom again without you. He wasn't being disrespectful to you, doing what he did."

Her eyes widened.

'_I __**died**__ for Baron? And he waited __**two centuries**__ for me?'_

She looked at the orange cat again, wondering why she had loved him enough to do that. And why he had loved her enough to do what he did.

The way he was looking at her right now clearly said that he cared for her with all his heart, but… could she really forgive him for taking her human life away from her, to finish a life and love that she didn't remember starting? To start calling a complete stranger 'father'? She knew she wasn't princess material, but how long would it take them to figure that fact out?

Baron sighed.

"I realize I'm not your favorite person right now, Haru, but I promise that I'm not all that bad. I mean, I _was _willing to shave a crazy king for you. I'd do it again, if you asked me to," he offered, his eyes filled with a sad longing as the white monarch gave him a fearful eye. She started giggling again, sneaking another glance at the picture on her lap.

"True… not too many guys would do that, even if they had the chance." She was pretty certain that Machida wouldn't, in any case. Not that he mattered anymore; even if he saw and noticed her now, she doubted it would be in a good light. And seeing what Baron could do with a sword, she doubted that Machida would matter anyway, even if he did ever like her the way she wanted him to. Well, she had always had a soft spot for swordsmen… was the orange and cream cat in front of her the reason for her obsession with old-fashioned gentlemen?

'_There's no way in heck that I love Baron right now, but I don't think I'll slam the door on him just yet. Maybe there's something I knew about him back then, that will make up for all this. And it had better be more substantial than the fact that he's a __**fantastic**__ kisser.'_


	8. The Returned Princess

Extra

Chapter Eight: The Returned Princess

The Althean king stole one more hug before leaning back, to fully take in his daughter's familiar face. His heart, which had felt dead for so long, was filled with renewed life, now that his precious child had been returned to him. He coughed, blinking back tears of happiness.

"Well, then. Now that you know about your Althean past, we'd like to hear how your life has been as a human."

Haru blinked, and then shrugged.

"My mom's a quilter, and my dad's a high school professor." She reached into the pack Baron had set next to her and extracted her wallet. Flipping it open, she handed it to the king, pointing at the picture in her school ID. "About two hours ago, that was what I looked like."

The king smiled fondly at the picture while taking it.

"I have often wondered what you would look like as a human, since their kind has few naturally white haired people."

Haru gave a half-smile. Considering who these people were, it couldn't hurt to spill her secret.

"My childhood was fairly happy, except for two things. One was that no one would believe me when I tried to tell them I could talk to cats or see in the dark. Another was that the older I got, the more my parents kept fighting with each other. Finally, when I was ten, Dad packed his bags and walked out of my life."

Baron's ears flicked upwards.

"But he was most attentive in the cave."

"What you saw in the cave was more affection than he had shown me since leaving Mom. I guess Muta knocking into me knocked some sense into him."

Her Althean father jumped out of his seat; nearly livid with fury.

"He walked _away_ from you?!" How could anyone just _walk away_ from his little girl, let alone his modern counterpart?! Haru waved one hand sadly.

"That's not even half of it. When I got him for a geology teacher, he made it clear to me that I was to address him as 'Mr. Niyashi'. He wanted to talk to me after touring the cave, so maybe he wanted to fix it."

The white monarch was now pacing angrily around the room.

"What kind of father is the man, to walk away from his wife and child?!"

Haru shrugged again, biting back a laugh that the regal cat was throwing a fit over her well-being.

"It was a surprisingly good move. Now that he and Mom were getting divorced and barely speaking to each other, I wasn't afraid to come home anymore. I hated hearing them go at it, and the new silence was heavenly. Mom had to start working harder so that she could support us without his help, since she didn't want anything more to do with him. When my grandma died, Dad came by with a bunch of craft books that belonged to her. He said that I might enjoy them, and I did. I can do more than lace, but I like making lace best.

"My best friend's a tomboy. Hiromi's really good at lacrosse, and she was why I went on the trip to the cave. Dad was in charge, so I didn't want to go. I really feel awkward around the man, but Hiromi can be very persuasive." She sighed. "Mom didn't want me to come. She somehow knew if she let me out of the house this morning, I wouldn't be coming back."

The king was now looking at her; his anger spent for the present. Haru took a deep breath for courage, uncertain if she was overstepping her boundaries or not.

"Look, she's been a great mother to me. She's done everything in her power to make sure I would have a happy life, and it will break her heart if I just disappear. Is there a way I can exchange letters with her or something?"

The monarch nodded, his eyes solemn.

"You may exchange letters with her. She sounds like a good woman, and I don't have a problem with you talking to your best friend either. But _that man_," he hissed angrily, his blood beginning to boil anew. "Only a coward runs from his own family."

Haru suddenly got the impression that her Althean father would get along excellently with her human mother.

"What about your love life?" Muta suddenly asked, clearly worried as Baron nearly choked, not thinking about that possibility. Haru scoffed.

"Guys never really noticed me. That was partially why I was so shocked at what Baron did."

The king stopped his mad pacing.

"You must be joking. You looked like _this_," he gestured to the ID still in one padded hand, "and men didn't take note of you?"

Haru shrugged, silencing the pain that even half-cats found her to be more attractive than other humans did, even when she was one of them.

"I'd think you'd be grateful for the fact. If I had a human boyfriend, I would still be putting up a fight. I mean… I liked one guy from my class, but I was invisible to him. That's pretty much it."

Baron smiled at her again, although his eyes were fading, like her pain was his own.

"Well, you're not invisible anymore, Haru."

She fought the urge not to say anything stupid, but her thoughts were her own.

'_Oh, like I couldn't tell that on my own from the look in your eyes, or the mind-shattering kiss?'_

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Haru lay back on her large canopied bed, staring at the tapestry overhead. Her Althean father's words began to return to her mind.

"_I hate to sound pushy, but part of the terms of the curse was that you need to marry Baron on your eighteenth birthday. I understand this must be a terrible shock to your system, dear heart. At least you have some time to get to know him again," he offered hesitantly. She had sighed in irritation and slight depression._

'_This is all a bit sudden, sir. And I'm still not quite convinced that I'm your Louise.'_

"_Give it time," Baron assured her, his eyes anxious. "I won't force you into this marriage, if you don't want it by then."_

"_Sure; doom both kingdoms while you're at it," her bodyguard growled. The new princess bit her lip carefully again._

"_What happened to Lune's father?"_

_Muta chuckled darkly._

"_He disappeared, right after killing you. No one knows where he is, which is why we need to protect you at all costs."_

Haru sighed again, wondering if her letter had reached her mother yet. She had glossed over many details, saying that a new friend introduced her to a man that sort of adopted her. She decided mentioning a boyfriend could wait a little longer. Hiromi's letter was being delivered with the empty borrowed pack, although she was certain that no one but her was worrying about the pack at this point.

And Machida… it didn't hurt very much to lose him, since he was never hers. Maybe, if she liked Baron enough in a past life to die for him, she could learn to love him again. Good thing she had always been fond of skirts; she had a feeling that her father wouldn't respond well to her wearing pants or shorts.

'_Oh, dang. I wonder how Father would have reacted if Baron didn't change my shorts with magic before coming here.' _She giggled, and then sighed.

"And just like that, I suddenly have an adoring father and boyfriend."

The kingdom was nothing to sneeze at, either. Baron said he'd show her around later, after she had rested, but she had seen a few glances of it through the windows, as a servant had guided her to her old room, which seemed to have been taken directly out of a dream. Everything was in light pastel colors, except for the dark oak wardrobes and the bed banisters. Just how many clothes did she have now anyway, to warrant no less than four wardrobes?!

A polite coughing came from above the canopy. Curious, she slipped off the bed and looked up. A very large balcony, next to a small flight of stairs, was high on one wall. But gripping the banister was a very large crow, who bowed to her; affection clear in his gaze.

"Hello, Louise."

She smiled brightly and climbed up the stairs to touch his feathers, which were faintly warm and waxy. She had never come this close to a bird before, at least in her current life.

"Hello Toto." She rubbed his head for a while as he wrapped one wing around her. She hugged his neck, somehow feeling like she had regained an old friend she had known from before kindergarten or something.

"I wish I could remember being Louise," she said after a few moments.

He bumped heads with her lightly.

"Don't worry; it will return with time." He released his hold on her and turned in his perch, grinning at her. "Maybe a ride will jog your memory?" The tone of his voice was nearly begging her to hop on his back.

Her heart leapt into her throat, but she delicately mounted him.

"What do I hold onto?"

"My neck feathers. Don't worry, it doesn't hurt."

Smiling again, she took two big handfuls as he hopped to the opposite balcony, outside her room. He spread out his impressive wingspan, and shot into the sky. It felt like she was on the elevator again, but the wind rushing past her was far better than the man-made contraption.

'_The sky… the speed…' _It _did _feel familiar to her, although Toto was clearly restraining himself from doing anything fancy, now that she was a new rider again. But Haru didn't care. This was glorious.

Her new (or old, depending on one's point of view) kingdom stretched out before her like a lush green carpet, with spots of villages and stripes of roads. Although she was still high up, she could see countless Altheans look up at her, and start waving happily, their shouts of joy faint in the wind. Not quite sure if it was proper, Haru waved back with one hand, the other keeping a firm grip on Toto's feathers.

The white-haired feline closed her eyes, in order to better feel how the wind rushed through her soft fur. Her whole body shivered with delight.

If anything could equal this feeling, it was when Baron kissed her.


	9. The Dance

Extra

Chapter Nine: The Dance

Naoko was breathing hard, holding one hand to her chest. Haru's letter was lying on the table in front of her.

She was alive, and doing fine. The red haired woman shook her head at herself, cursing the fact that she hadn't followed her instincts about the trip. Haru had slipped a small scrap into the letter for her father, but Naoko was reluctant to give it to the man she had loved at one point.

'_Where did it all go wrong?'_

Her doorbell rang out, making her hurriedly fold both papers and stuff them into her back pocket. She approached the door and snuck a glance through the peephole. Her eyes widened, and she opened the door to reveal an officer. He nodded at her, his face grim.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news for you, Ms. Yoshioka."

"You haven't been able to find my daughter?" she asked softly, already knowing the answer. He shook his head.

"There's that, and your ex-husband is dead. He got ran over by a truck about half an hour ago."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Just relax Haru; this will never work if you're tense."

The white cat tried steady breaths, which helped ease her anxiety a little. Baron had one hand on her waist, and the other holding her hand. Muta had cleared all of the furniture to make a circle in the middle of the library, just like the picture in the album. A small band of musicians were in the corner, providing a soft waltz. Muta was in a corner with a large bowl of popcorn, enjoying the show.

She was now in a flowing periwinkle dress; her wardrobe strangely being preserved along with everything else in the two kingdoms. She liked the dress plenty, deciding that she had excellent taste in her past life. But what was disturbing to her was finding a lace scarf just like the one she had given Hiromi, along with an impressive collection of self-made patterns and superior craft supplies.

'_Was I ever really Haru? Was I just a shadow of what Louise had once been? Which am I?'_

She had to admit; she was shocked that Baron wasn't black and blue by now. But would she be able to tell, with the fur in the way?

Since she had no recollection of her Althean education, Baron was giving her a crash course in everything, but she had the impression that he had a bias on teaching her how to dance again, just for the chance to hold her close. She hadn't forgotten the dream she had, just before meeting him, making her wonder if it was a dream at all, or if she had been unconsciously aware of what he was doing. At least it wasn't a bad experience.

She should have felt guilty for thinking this, but her Althean father had already replaced her human one, in her heart. True, he was showing some potential before she met Baron, but she still didn't quite trust him for all those silent years.

The orange cat suddenly led her through a dip, and held her there for a second; making the girl unwillingly blush. His face was fairly close to hers, locking eyes as he expressed his thoughts.

"The problem is the same as it was back then. You're scared to make a mistake, and your heightened nerves lead to a broken partner. What you need to understand is that dancing is supposed to be fun, and it will flow to you."

How can he read her like this? She came back up, and started twirling underneath his fingers. Yes, she could already feel the progress. There was a rhythm.

'_It's like a mind puzzle for feet. Once you figure out the pattern, it's easy to find the solution. Except… it's not just the feet.' _She readjusted her arms, and just let Baron guide her. He grinned widely, and started spinning her around.

'_Keep eye contact; keep looking at him, so you don't get dizzy,' _she told herself, somehow understanding just how to place her footing on the sturdy dance floor.

The music suddenly stopped a few minutes later, and Baron was grinning at her again; his green eyes glowing with pleasure. He kissed her gloved hand tenderly.

"You caught on a bit faster this time."

She blushed at the praise, but became distracted by someone pulling on her skirt. Looking down, she saw a cute kitten servant, holding a letter. The little one smiled shyly, and held her offering a little higher so the white princess could see it.

"This came for you, Highness. The king thinks it's from your mom."

Haru grinned, and snuck a hug from the child while taking the mail. Baron smiled; pleased that she acted the same as she had before. To him, the only difference between Louise and Haru was that Haru didn't remember him. And he was hoping to get her to love him as she once did, if she truly could never remember him.

The princess took off one glove to use her claw to open the envelope, and unfolded the letter. Her eyes widened, and the joy faded from her face.

"Haru, what is it?"

She looked down at her feet, rolling up the letter.

"Mom scolded me for scaring her and not telling the entire truth. And… she mentioned that Dad got hit by a truck. Apparently, he wasn't watching the lights at a crossroad. He was killed immediately."

Without thinking twice, the feline lord wrapped his arms around her and squeezed. Instead of pushing him away again, Haru clung to him; the musicians leaving to give them privacy. Muta stayed where he was, being the chaperone and bodyguard to the princess.

"You mentioned you weren't very close to him," Baron said, running his fingers through her soft hair.

"I wasn't, but… he was still my dad." Now she would never know what he had wanted to say to her after the cave trip. She squeezed him a little tighter for some much-needed comfort, making a lightning bolt shoot into her brain.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"_I… will miss her so much," she sobbed into Baron's shoulder as he squeezed her comfortingly. Technically, since they weren't dancing, he wasn't allowed to be so familiar with the princess. But he was holding her anyway, sensing how much she needed his support right now. But her accent wasn't the same one she had now, and she was a few years younger._

"_I know you will, Highness. I miss mine too. At least you still have your father."_

_She managed to nod her agreement through the tears. She looked up to smile at his handsome face._

"_Thank you, Baron. For helping me through this." She managed a soft glare at him. "I thought I told you not to call me 'Highness'."_

_He sighed, smiling softly._

"_As you wish, Louise."_

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"I still have my father…" she whispered, her cheek against Baron's chest. She could feel him hold his breath. She looked up into face, wondering why she hadn't noticed before now how handsome he was. Was it because she was still clinging to her human sight, and denying her Althean one?

"You helped me through my Althean mother's death, too."

His eyes went wide.

"Haru… do you remember?"

"Only that part." She squeezed him again, wondering what else would be coming back to her, now that part of her two lives had intermingled. What other details had she forgotten, and not been told?

Dang, hugging him feels _good_.


	10. The Secret Revealed

Extra

Chapter Ten: The Secret

Naoko paced angrily in front of her door, waiting for a letter. Haru's were very distinct, and looked like parchment. They even had a seal of wax on them. The woman shook her head, wondering what game her daughter was playing. After what Naoko had written in her last letter, she was fully expecting a real explanation this time.

Haru was a terrible liar, even on paper.

A letter fluttered through the door, and the woman attacked it with a vengeance. The wax seal of a cherry blossom crumbled under her hand, and she ripped the envelope apart. A slim necklace fell from the envelope, making the woman kneel down in order to retrieve it. It looked like a marble blossom, matching the one on the seal. She looked at the letter, unfolding it with one hand.

_Dear Mom,_

_I'm sorry for lying to you. You deserved to catch me doing it, and you deserve to know the truth about my situation. But if I try to just write the explanation, you'll just say I'm lying again. It's so fantastic that __**I**__ would say I'm lying, if I were in your position. I have approached the man that sort of adopted me, and he agrees that the last thing either of us need is miscommunication. And he's angry at me too, for lying to you. I have told him about you; he thinks highly of you, and of the way you raised me._

_Mom, I know what I'm about to ask is insane, but you need to trust me on this, if you truly want to see me again. I love you dearly, but I can't come home, at least home to you. You need to come here. You'll see why when you get here._

_With this letter, there is a necklace. Put it on, and push the center of the flower hard with your thumb. Make sure it's your thumb, because this won't work if you try any other finger._

_See you soon,_

_Haru_

Naoko looked at the necklace, wondering if her daughter had lost her mind. She shrugged, figuring it couldn't hurt to try.

She set the parchment aside and clipped the blossom around her neck. She pressed her thumb against the center, nothing happening. Feeling indignant, she jammed her thumb deeper, harder.

Her body became a flurry of lights, and she lost sight of where she was.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

When everything came into focus again, she opened her eyes. She was in a large, almost ridiculously large, library, where some cats were lounging on the couches. Her heart sped up, realizing how big the cats were, especially the white one with a brown spot. All the other cats were dressed like humans, although the fashion was one unseen for at least a century. Perhaps 'cat' wouldn't be the best way to describe them, since they had physiques resembling humans, and fingers like them too. A regal-looking white half-cat approached her, obviously a male from his clothes.

He smiled warmly at the woman, and began speaking with an accent similar to British royalty.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Ms. Yoshioka. Haru hardly ever stops talking about you." He kissed her hand like a proper gentleman. She stared at him, temporarily forgetting that he was a cat, and that she could understand him.

"Where is my daughter?"

He smiled and stepped to the side, so she could see the couches again. A younger white cat was standing up, and walking towards her; clearly related to the white cat close to the human. She was a female, wearing a flowing daffodil yellow dress and longer head fur, like a human. Her eyes were locked on the human, wide and fearful. Naoko's heart heaved, recognizing the rich chocolate color, which matched her own.

Haru rubbed the back of her neck nervously.

"I guess this explains why I couldn't come home, doesn't it, Mom?"

Naoko didn't answer. She was too busy fainting.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The king managed to catch the woman before she fell to the floor, and carried her to the couches. Haru tailed her Althean father sadly, supposing that her mother could have taken it worse.

"She isn't allergic to cats, is she?" her father asked, sending a servant for smelling salts after settling the woman comfortably on the empty couch.

"No, not to my knowledge." Haru sat down next to her comatose mother, wondering what would happen when she woke up. The servant came back, a small vial in his hands. The king handed it to his daughter.

"You'd better do it."

She nodded, and carefully uncapped the vial. Very gently, she eased it under her mother's nose. The human immediately gave a jerk, pulling a face.

"Haru, are you cooking again?" she mumbled. Her daughter turned red as she capped the vial; her companions taking a moment to laugh at her expense.

"Don't worry Mom; they don't let me go near the cooking equipment here."

Naoko's eyes shot up, seeing her daughter again. She started climbing up the couch, trying to put some space between them.

"You're… you're…"

"Go ahead and say it Mom. It'll make you feel better."

"… a cat! How did this happen?!"

It was like the woman had pressed a button marked 'information'. Haru started talking, faster than she ever had at Althea, if the expressions on the guys' faces were of any indication. Naoko's eyebrows continued to crawl up her head, until they were hidden in her hair. And Haru kept right on going; knowing for a fact that her mother was getting everything as she gestured madly. Baron got up from his seat and touched her shoulder, looking nervous.

"Breathe, Haru. You're turning blue."

She gasped, having just reached the end. As she breathed heavily, her mother slowly sank back into her seat, amazement clear on her face. The king coughed nervously.

"What she tried to say was-"

"Don't worry. I got it loud and clear."

The king stared at her.

"You understood that bird chatter?"

"My dad used to talk like that all the time. Haru got it from him." Shaking her head, she reached over and pulled the cat-girl onto her lap. "My girl; a reincarnated half-cat princess? This more than explains a few things." She squeezed hard. "I guess I can't get too angry at you for hiding this from me."

Haru sighed heavily with relief, squeezing her mother back and purring like mad. Looked like her mother didn't hate cats, after all.

From the corner of her eye, the redheaded woman glared at the orange cat.

"But I want to have a little chat with you, _sir_."

Baron flinched, not feeling too good about the way she was looking at him.

"Haru; I thought you said that you forgave me!"

"She did," the woman said slowly, her eyes beginning to burn. "I want to talk about this wedding that's supposed to happen on my baby's birthday."

"I'm not a baby," Haru protested; her voice muffled by her mother's shoulder. Muta chuckled evilly and leaned down to the tawny noble.

"Duck and cover, Baron. She doesn't look too happy to me."

Naoko's eyes flicked to the larger cat in confusion, perhaps due to the fact that the necklace only allowed her to understand Altheans, but then refocused on the orange cat again.

"My Haru's way too young for marriage. Doom on the two kingdoms or not-"

"Stop, Mom. I'm okay with it."

The redhead looked down at her daughter, completely shocked.

"Are you sure, Sweetie?"

The white princess took a deep breath.

"Yes, I'm sure." She snuck a look at the tawny lord from the corner of her eye and blushed slightly. "Baron's pretty cool, when you get to know him."

The orange feline blinked twice, smiling warmly at his beloved.

'_Judging from the look on her face, I'm going to assume that being 'cool' is a good thing.'_


	11. The Parents

Extra

Chapter Eleven: The Parents

Naoko shuddered, watching her daughter do some aerial feats on her pet crow. The redhead had always been fond of the ground, and hadn't taken her daughter's invitation for a ride. Instead, her fiancé was seated behind her, shamelessly squeezing her around the waist with one hand, while the other kept a grip on his top hat.

Maybe that had been why she wasn't popular with human boys. She had this gentleman waiting for her.

"You've been worrying about her."

Naoko looked at King Dominic, and nodded. She sighed.

"I'm still a bit angry with you, for taking my girl away."

He smiled a little guiltily.

"But you can't blame me for doing it. You know her."

Naoko nodded again, watching the crow go around the air over the palace.

"Wasn't it a little dangerous, getting her a pet like this?"

He shook his head, smiling.

"Toto has been trained for years on how to carry the princess. He knows how to catch her, if she ever fell."

"Has it ever happened?"

"Once, about five months after she got him. I nearly got a heart attack. But Toto coolly dove for her, and grabbed the hand she reached out to him. She was so confident that he would catch her, she didn't even scream, although she was scared. She didn't ride him for a week after that."

Naoko shook her head in amazement.

"She's a lot braver than I am. I never would have boarded Toto in the first place."

The king laughed.

"I can understand that. If Louise didn't want a crow so badly, I wouldn't have considered getting her one. But Toto's well-behaved, as long as you keep him away from Muta."

She snuck a peek at the large bodyguard, the full cat that she still couldn't understand. The necklace that Haru had given her made communication with Altheans possible, but the maker had been in too big of a hurry to give the necklace an upgrade so she could understand full cats too.

That was something she hadn't understood, when Haru was little, and tried to tell anyone that listened that she could talk to cats. Naoko smiled.

"Haru's always been a terrible liar, so I couldn't understand why she wasn't lying when she tried to tell people about her unique gifts. She seems a lot happier, here."

Dominic sighed with relief.

"We had been worrying about that, all the years of waiting for her. We knew getting her back would tear her away from a new set of loved ones. But I don't see a reason why we can't share her."

Naoko grinned at him, suddenly checking her watch. The grin faded.

"Drat. I have to get back."

The king saddened.

"Just press the charm when you want to switch between worlds. I hope you'll visit often."

She stood up and stretched

"I will. Um, Dominic?"

He nodded his head.

"Baron will be good for Haru? He's the right guy for her?"

Dominic nodded again, his eyes straying back to the crow.

"She was willing to die for him, and he was willing to live for her. Even though her memories of her past life are still coming at a trickle, Haru's growing to love him. I know they will be happy together."

Naoko smiled warmly.

"Thanks. If nothing else, I'll see you at the wedding."

He bowed for her as she disappeared in a flurry of lights, a warm smile in his eyes as well.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Deep inside a dark cavern, a large ball moved and breathed. Grunting a little, the ball unrolled to reveal a large longhair cat; a broken gem between his eyes. He stretched and grunted; his joints popping from staying in one position for years.

"What's going on, babe," he muttered, digging through some rubble to find a large crystal ball. Grabbing the remote to it, he pushed five buttons. The crystal ball didn't want to work at first, after being unused for centuries. Hissing angrily, he kicked it. He howled in pain as the crystal ball flared to life, revealing a large cream-colored castle. High above it, a crow started doing a barrel dive, making one of his riders scream with delight.

The cat's large eyes sharpened, making the crystal ball close in on the riders. One was immediately recognizable as the Althean noble that had disgraced him, and had stolen the bride that should have been his. The other rider…

She was even more of a babe than he remembered her to be. Her large brown eyes sparkled magically as the crow made a sharp recovery, sending them high into the sky again. Her long head fur whipped behind her, her companion keeping his face on her shoulder to avoid the whipping strands, one hand to his top hat as he firmly gripped the cat-girl's waist with the other hand. They looked happy.

The large cat started growling angrily. It should be _his_ paw on her waist. It was that idiotic baron's fault that she had died, and the kingdoms nearly destroyed.

The crow eventually came down, the baron jumping down first so he could help Princess Louise. She didn't have her bearings yet, and accidentally fell against him. But the orange cat wasn't minding in the least, as he helped the princess truly get on her feet. She looked up at him, a loopy smile on her face.

Without so much as a warning, her hands rose from his chest and wrapped around his neck so she could kiss the daylights out of him, standing on her tiptoes. The orange cat seemed shocked beyond words, but his eyes slowly closed as he wrapped his arms around her to pull her closer, getting her to lean back slightly as he returned the passion with full force.

The Cat King howled louder than ever before, watching the Althean noble enjoy _his_ happily ever after for several shameless minutes.

The princess eventually pulled away, her cheeks flushed and her eyes wide with ecstasy.

"Hah. Now we're even," she said breathlessly.

The baron slowly shook his head, holding her closer still; his own eyes wide and dazed, like he was drunk. He was breathing heavily, like he had just run a marathon.

"We are _far_ from even, love. Blast it; why won't your birthday hurry up and get here?!"


	12. The Threat

Extra

Chapter Twelve: The Threat

The princess smiled dreamily as she sat on the chair in front of her vanity, brushing her head fur. The rest of it usually behaved itself.

She giggled again, thinking about the number she had pulled on Baron earlier that day, to repay him for that first kiss. She didn't think he'd learn his lesson, but it was fun to catch him off-guard like that. She was looking forward to doing that pretty often to him in their future together.

Haru really should have been in bed, but sleep had been far from her mind. The white cat put the brush down, and stretched leisurely, sighing sleepily.

A purring greeted her ears, running like a broken motor. Her heart pounded in fear, remembering a purr like that from her past life. A rough chuckle accompanied the purring.

"Lookin good, babe."

Babe. Ever since Haru could remember, in her life as a human, she had hated that word with a passion. And now she understood why. Her back went ramrod straight, remembering that she was in a nightgown.

She slowly turned toward her bed, where a large longhair was leisurely draped across her quilt. She immediately recognized him from the picture in her album, and her mind shuddered with dormant memories.

He had been eyeing her, even when he was still trying to arrange her marriage to his son. He leered at her, grinning wickedly.

"You know, babe; that's one sight I can get used to." He patted the side of the bed right next to him invitingly.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

A sharp scream echoed through the castle, getting Muta to wake from his cat nap. Praying that his charge was clothed, he tore her curtain away, to see Haru chucking her perfume bottles at a familiar cat, one hand holding a robe to her front. The cat in question was trying to block the bottles with his arms, one shattering against his scalp and dousing him with a flower scent. Muta grinned evilly.

"I'll take it from here, Princess." The bodyguard marched up to his old monarch and slammed one paw solidly into the mouth, sending the old troublemaker flying against the wall. Haru used the distraction to pull on the robe and securely tie it closed; her face fearful as the king and royal fiancé stormed into the room. She threw herself into Baron's arms. He kissed her forehead before firmly giving her to her father in order to help Muta. Her father wrapped his arms around her as Baron stormed up to the king, who was howling in displeasure.

"Later, babe!" And he shifted, disappearing before Baron could do anything. He growled in frustration as Muta pouted evilly.

"Dang it; I only got to him once."

"Don't complain; at least you got to hit him." Baron growled, swiftly returning to Haru's side as she clung to her father, shaking. "What happened?"

"Nothing, thankfully. He was lying on my bed, and making a few sick comments. Muta came before he could do anything more."

The king turned angrily to the bodyguard.

"How did he slip past you?!"

Muta put up his paws defensively.

"You saw! Baron may have shattered his crown, but it still has some power."

The orange cat growled again, running his fingers through Haru's hair and kissing her softly, trying to help her to calm down. She looked at her bed and shivered.

"I'm _not_ crawling into that thing. Not after he did."

Her father soothed her, noting the gray hairs over the quilt.

"I don't blame you, dear heart. We'll have to find somewhere else for you to sleep for a while."

Muta growled again.

"Have you forgotten about his crystal ball? It doesn't matter where we put her, he'll be able to find her again."

Baron stiffened, holding her close again.

"There has to be a way around that rogue."

Haru's eyes, which had been drooping slightly for having Baron close, suddenly perked up. She reached up with one hand, and pulled his head closer to her. But instead of kissing him, her lips went closer to his velvety ear, and started whispering fast. Baron's eyes went wider and wider, as did his grin. Then he laughed out loud.

"Brilliance!"

"What'd she say?" Muta asked curiously, the king leaning in a bit too, to hear. Baron and Haru separated, and softly condensed what had been said. The kind and bodyguard looked a little incredulous, but then also started laughing. The king wrapped his arm around his daughter and squeezed affectionately.

"I wish your mother could see this."

Haru smiled sadly, knowing which one he meant.

"You'll have to settle for Mom. And she'll like it too."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The Cat King hissed, wishing he could hear what had been concocted, but the whispering was too soft for the static to allow him to hear. He watched in disappointment as the princess got transferred to a room filled with female bodyguards to keep watch over her while she slept. He should have made a move before she had the chance to scream, but he just enjoyed looking at her too much.

He would not repeat his mistake. Next chance he got, he would take his princess. Turning from the crystal ball, he meowed pitifully, holding an ice pack to where Renaldo Moon had decked him. His nose wrinkled in disgust, wondering how long he would stink of roses. His eyes were still stinging horribly, where the perfume had spilled into them. Shards of glass were still in his soaked fur.


	13. The Trap

Extra

Chapter Thirteen: The Trap

Lune nervously got out of the rickshaw, helping his wife down. Although he was a good friend of Princess Louise, he hadn't forgotten about the terrible things his father had done.

Yuki kissed his cheek to give him courage. He smiled gratefully at her before linking arms and walking into the Althean castle. They were led into the large throne room, where the wedding would take place. Lune gripped his crown shards, the ones he had gathered after his father's duel, prepared to use them if his father made an appearance. He may be the king, now that the kingdom could formally accept him and denounce his father for his deeds, but he still felt like a scared little kitten-prince at times. They were seated at the front row, just in case.

Renaldo Moon was at the front, next to Baron, for his role as best man. The Ylthean King was impressed that they had been able to make a tuxedo large enough for the criminal, who was strangely a good cat, underneath his fat hide and terrible reputation.

Lune looked up, surprised to find a sharply dressed human woman sitting on his other side. She looked at him and grinned. She stuck out her hand warmly.

"You must be King Lune. I'm Haru's mother."

Lune blinked, remembering a split second too late who Haru was. He smiled warmly at her and kissed her hand.

"Thank you for your daughter. She's pretty cool."

Yuki reached over and slapped his shoulder playfully.

"Don't tell me you're crushing on her, now of all times!"

He grinned before kissing his wife hard.

"Yuki, she let me marry you. Shoot, she helped me gain the courage to do it. If that isn't cool, I don't know what is."

Naoko laughed warmly, still a little tired. The redhead was grateful that her marble necklace had been upgraded, so that she could understand Yltheans as well as Altheans. She faced the front, and looked at her almost son in law. He was all in white, and appeared to be one of the least nervous people in the room. The orange cat had a dreamy smile on his face, completely calm. The woman fought her urge to giggle.

Hiromi hadn't taken the cat side of Haru's life as well as her mother had, so King Dominic erased her memories of Althea. The once-brunette had taken her best friend's reaction pretty hard, clinging to her mother for support.

Naoko had arrived the night before her daughter's wedding, determined that she would not miss her girl's special day. Dominic had been very accommodating to the woman that had born his reborn daughter, ever since meeting the woman. She thought it was funny, that she was getting along with her ex-husband's cat counterpart better than she ever had with her ex-husband himself. At least the Althean King wasn't shy about telling their daughter how much he loved her.

To be honest, there were times when she felt like she was married to the white king. But considering her past with marriage (and the fact that Haru told her that Altheans don't have divorce), she was content with slow steps. Dominic was completely respecting that, although she had caught him looking at her more than once; admiration clear in his sapphire eyes. She laughed lightly at herself, trying to keep the light blush from staining her fair cheeks.

The musicians in the corner started the wedding march, and a few flower kittens came down the aisle in sky blue dresses. Naoko had to resist her urge to pick one up and set her on her human lap; they were so adorable.

Then, the magic moment came. King Dominic appeared at the end of the aisle, a ghostlike Haru at his side. If she were a human, the dress would have looked great on her. It still did when she was a cat, but her white fur made for a monochromatic look. She also looked perfectly calm, squeezing her father's arm with one gloved hand and a bouquet of pale yellow roses in the other hand.

The king and princess of Althea glided down the aisle with dignity; Haru's shining brown orbs locked on her groom.

About three feet away from meeting him, a giant longhair appeared out of nowhere, and grabbed Haru.

"I'll be taking this!" he gloated.

Haru suddenly jammed her bouquet directly into his chest, shoving it in as far as it would go. The cat jerked and heaved, staring at her. His head nodded slightly as Baron came up behind him and gave a good whack over the head with his cane, making the gray cat howl. Haru managed to slip away from his paw, a crystal blade now sticking above the crushed bouquet. The blade was stained red.

Lune stood up, his eyes on fire as he approached his father. The old king looked up, his eyes starting to fade.

"Son… help me."

"No." Lune said firmly, opening up his shard bag. "You've done enough damage."

Baron stepped around the mound to hug Haru, grinning at the large cat.

"You were too late anyway." He and his bride locked eyes, and then nodded. In sync with each other, they pulled off their right gloves, to reveal a handsome matching pair of rings.

"Baron and I were married earlier today, while everyone was asleep and unaware. This wedding was just to draw you out."

Lune held the bag toward his father, concentrating hard as the dethroned monarch gave a final howl of displeasure.

Then, in front of everyone's eyes, the old king changed into an ugly black color, and he solidified into a block of granite. Lune sadly closed the bag while bowing to the Althean King.

"My soldiers will transport him back to Ylthea. I know a spot where he will be most at home. My apologies again, for what he has done."

Dominic waved one hand, grinning.

"As long as he stays just like that, I'll call it even." He turned to the rest of the wedding guests. "Sorry about not letting all of you see them married, but our princess's plan was just too good to resist. Let's adjourn to the dining hall, and celebrate."

His words were greeted with much enthusiasm, as people started to file out. Naoko lunged for her daughter, avoiding the blade.

"You were right, sweetheart; it worked like a charm!"

Haru giggled, but, as they usually did, her eyes strayed to her groom, who was also grinning evilly.

Now, everyone truly could move on with their lives. The white princess had seen what had been passing between her parents, and to be honest, she was on her father's side of the not-quite argument. She knew the Althean king would make her mother happier than her dad ever did.

He was no coward.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Lots of love to; QuickStar, Lanari, kittydemon18, EarthGurdian, Watersoul the Head Star Walker, Youkai no Yume, Elvin Magi, InkyManipulation, Muu-chan, Thundercat, and mangafairy for the funny and thought-provoking reviews.

I hope everyone liked the ending to this one, just for the pwning that the Cat King got. Well, 'till the nest story!

YarningChick


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